The Thinking Persons Blog

Menu

Land of Opportunity

America is the land of opportunity, as we are often told. A closer look would reveal that the opportunity is not equally applied to all. Major factors of opportunity include race, class, gender, and geography. In this country we cheer the marginalized person for overcoming hardship; likely because so few manage to do it.

Take the intersection of race and class, which are greatly linked. Marginalized minorities occupy the lower classes disproportionately; In history or modern times this has been the case. Despite vastly unequal opportunities society acts as if that is irrelevant, that only grit is the determinate factor. Given the usual scenario they are chained with very little, and easy to lose it all.

Compared to the affluent, or majority, the minorities start off far behind. Along with societal supports, the majority gets far more second chances and are not labeled as menaces from birth. Access to capital and the opportunity to learn from mistakes are advantages to success. Experiences which are scares for marginalized minorities, but the majority takes for granted.

A few poor, marginalized minorities manage to make it through and are put on a pedestal, but for the most part marginalized minorities are considered disposable. In the richest country in the world this is a disgrace, not just as citizen in this republic, but as a human being. The necessary corrections involve changing society, mostly attitudes and culture. Society can tarty by embracing the concepts, without cant, of liberty, equality, and fraternity.